Dog Yarn From Your Best Friend

As with any of our projects, your chiengora is a custom product. We will need to sample your dog’s hair first so that we will know what we are working with and you can see, and feel, what you will have.

You will want to be sure to harvest your dog’s hair properly, and then contact us for instructions on sending us a quantity to sample for you. Cost depends on whether hair needs special processing (such as extra washing, skirting, or other handling) or blending (if it’s too short to spin on its own). We will quote your cost when we send you your sample yarn.

Knitters and Crocheters should know…

Chiengora (dog wool) differs from conventional (sheep) yarn in a number of ways.

Dog is much, much warmer than sheep, lamb, or alpaca, but it is also much less elastic. Because of the warmth, we always aim to spin finer wool so that people can actually wear it. At DK weight, it is already too warm for most people to wear on any but the coldest days. Even lace weight chiengora provides amazing insulation.

It does not have the same memory as conventional wool. When choosing a pattern or creating a design, think more about drape than about cling.

Chiengora has a prominent halo — it is very fuzzy, which is why it’s so warm. Like angora, it blooms when it is worked and that effect increases over time. Cable and rib patterns often disappear in that halo, and smaller lace patterns are hard to see as well.

Finally, because your dog yarn comes only from your dog and is hand spun, it will show certain traits that you won’t find in other yarn. Its thickness will not always be as consistent as store-bought yarn. Our spinners are outstanding artisans, but like the grain markings in leather, the entirely custom yarn we spin for you will also demonstrate what makes it unique. When working your yarn, check your gauge frequently and be prepared to make adjustments — just like you do when you live with your dog.

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